The National Register (NR) of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources, 50 years or older, worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a nationwide program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological places. The NR listing only recognizes a place's historic character and does not place restrictions on the property.

Properties listed in the NR include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture at the local, state, and/or national level. The list is maintained by the National Park Service.

NOMINATIONS

Nominations to the National Register are submitted from each state by the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). In Alabama, the SHPO is the Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC). The AHC administers the National Register.

In every state, a review board examines potential nominations and makes recommendations to the SHPO regarding the eligibility of properties and the accuracy of nominations. The Alabama National Register Review Board consists of scholars and citizens from across the state. The board meets two times a year to consider the eligibility of properties for nomination to the National Register.

Nominations approved by the review board are forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register in the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. Final authority to list properties in the National Register resides with the National Park Service.

In the 1970s, the Alabama Historical Commission created the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage as the official listing of historic resources (buildings, sites, structures, objects, districts, and cultural landscapes) in Alabama that are worthy of preservation. These properties may be of national, state, and local significance. The designation is honorary and carries no restrictions or financial incentives. It also does not carry automatic listing in the National Register of Historic Places.